Salida, Colorado - Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center announced today it began sending out mail-in ballots on April 20 for the upcoming hospital board election. The special district election is slated for May 8.

There are eight candidates running for two open board seats. The candidates, in the order in which they will appear on the ballot, are Alan Sulzenfuss, Marilyn Bouldin, Charles Forster, Richard Edgington, Joan Michaud, Eric Gibb, Hugh Young and John Klein. The ballot order was determined by a lot drawing on March 7. A ninth candidate, Dennis Giese, will appear on the ballot, but he announced after the ballots had been printed that he was withdrawing from the race.

Applications for mail-in ballot are available at the main reception desk at the hospital. Electors can also request an application by calling Juanita Ward at 530-2231 or sending her a request by mail at Heart of the Rockies Regional Medical Center, 1000 Rush Drive, Salida, CO, 81201.

The application for the mail-in ballot is also available for download on the hospital's homepage at www.hrrmc.com. Applications for mail-in ballots will be accepted until 4 p.m. on May 1 if the ballot is to be mailed to the elector, or until 4 p.m. on May 4, if the ballot will not be mailed to the elector.

Mail-in ballots may be mailed back to Juanita Ward, the designated election official, at the hospital. They may also be dropped off in the ballot box outside Ward's office in the Administrative suite of the hospital. No ballots may be received at any location inside the hospital except for the ballot box.

All mail-in ballots must be received by 7 p.m. on May 8. Postmarks do not count as receipt of the ballot.